The Optima finally died

[jeepgeek2002]

Optima Red Top i bought in 2003 finally died! from what i heard its rare for an Optima to last that long.
Am i the only one to have a good Optima? :jester:

 

[Lowrange2]

I bought one used in 2004 and it died last month.

It was originally bought in 2002 and used in an SPL competition van.

Mine was a Yellow top tho.

Now, I'm back to plain ole batteries.

Did you try to "restore" the battery?

 

[jeepgeek2002]

what you mean "restore?"

 

[Lowrange2]

http://www.optimabatteries.com/product_support/resuscitating_agmbattery.php

 

[jeepgeek2002]

Did this work for you?

 

[shortxjdoug]

not sure of the cutoff year when optima got bought out but anything after the buyout is junk from what i hear.... good luck here with interstates and the batteries that mark and ed run from the co-op

 

[jeepgeek2002]

interstate is good? there's an interstate battery store near me in AL...
i just tell them its for a jeep and they should know what i need right?

 

[Lowrange2]

YOU should know what you need!

 

[NDMstang65]

After the "buyout" optima went to shit.

If you are looking for a drycell or an agm battery xspower's are nice (expensive as hell though).

Personally I've got Stinger batteries, which are the same as the odyssey batteries.

Lowrange - Any idea who's van your battery came out of? It may have been one of Scottie's batteries, he had 120 of them in the van if I remember correctly.

 

[jeepgeek2002]

YOU should know what you need!

No idea what is needed.. never had to worry about it..

 

[Shorty]

No idea what is needed.. never had to worry about it..

I show the original battery was a group size 58 (industry standard/BCI size), but I don't think I've ever actually installed that size in one.

Optima, Odyssey, Orbital, et al don't make a sealed battery in that size, and the larger group size 34 fits and usually offers much higher cranking amperage.

 

[jeepgeek2002]

All we did was buy it at a batterys plus for $99 back then. I had it in a 84 cj, 93 xj then in the rubicon since 2004. it did its job.

 

[xjtrailrider]

This is a hell of a coincidence, my 11 year old Optima died this weekend as well. RIP

I will buy another, that was one hell of a battery. It lasted 5 different Jeeps!

 

[NDMstang65]

Jon, giving you fair warning. Do not buy one now. They are not what they were when they were made here. They are not the same materials, and they do not last as long. My group 34 was after the transfer to Mexico, and lasted 3 years. The one I previously had lasted 7 years.

I highly suggest looking into other batteries that are mentioned in here as they last.

 

[xjtrailrider]

Jon, giving you fair warning. Do not buy one now. They are not what they were when they were made here. They are not the same materials, and they do not last as long. My group 34 was after the transfer to Mexico, and lasted 3 years. The one I previously had lasted 7 years.

I highly suggest looking into other batteries that are mentioned in here as they last.

Will do! Thanks Nick.

Hows things going for you in GA?

 

[Lowrange2]

Lowrange - Any idea who's van your battery came out of? It may have been one of Scottie's batteries, he had 120 of them in the van if I remember correctly.

Nah, this battery came from a guy named David Pickel. (He got pissed if you called him Pickle, lol) I used to work for him at a shop called Music Masters. He really knew his stuff.

The entire van was the sub enclosure. You had to sit in the port to drive it up on the trailer...

The van ran 18 yellow tops, 9 high output alternators, 8 4KW Memphis MOJO Class D amps, all double zero gauge wire powering 2 rebuildable M3 Memphis MOJO subs. Last I heard the highest he'd managed was 172.8 db.

I'll tell ya what. The power HURTs. I was sittin in the port one day working on something on the dash and he accidently bumped the speakers. I thought I had gone deaf!

Fun job.

 

[NDMstang65]

Nah, this battery came from a guy named David Pickel. (He got pissed if you called him Pickle, lol) I used to work for him at a shop called Music Masters. He really knew his stuff.

The entire van was the sub enclosure. You had to sit in the port to drive it up on the trailer...

The van ran 18 yellow tops, 9 high output alternators, 8 4KW Memphis MOJO Class D amps, all double zero gauge wire powering 2 rebuildable M3 Memphis MOJO subs. Last I heard the highest he'd managed was 172.8 db.

I'll tell ya what. The power HURTs. I was sittin in the port one day working on something on the dash and he accidently bumped the speakers. I thought I had gone deaf!

Fun job.

Gotcha.

I've worked in the industry for 10 years now...it used to be fun. Hoping I'll have my toy truck finished here soon

Got a couple batteries with a couple watts and a speaker or two in it

 

[NDMstang65]

Will do! Thanks Nick.

Hows things going for you in GA?

Everything is on hold at this point in time... :smsoap:

 

[Ben824]

I had 2 red tops and they both lasted less maybe 2 years. Managed to get the first one replaced on warranty after giving the Pep Boys manager a hard time but after the second one went I bought a yellow top from Autozone. The yellow top didn't even make it 5 years. I went to autozone and they confirmed it was bad and I tried all the reviving instructions and none of them worked. I went to autozone and told them my situation and none of the guys there said they would ever sell an Optima unless someone came in specific for one and insisted on getting one. When I called to other autoparts places they all recommended other batteries. Optima no longer lives up to its name. I threw a Duralast Gold battery in it for half the price of the yellow top and called it done.

 

[xjtrailrider]

So who makes a good battery that can be mounted on its side like the Optima could? I need one for my dual battery set-up when I get around to it.